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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: saw · fan · pit · cap · wave · bark · capital · spring

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. saw — the tool
  7. cap — of ice
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. capital — a city
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. spring — a coil
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. spring — of water
  14. cap — a hat
  15. spring — the season
  16. capital — money
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. saw — the tool
  20. bark — to shout
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. pit — a hole
  23. cap — a lid
  24. pit — in a race

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com